Mother and son sentenced for over £33k drug operation at Exeter home

A mother and son from Exeter have been sentenced for running a drug dealing operation from their home in Bennett Square.

Jayne Warren, 56, and Jake Warren, 31, both appeared at Exeter Crown Court on Monday 17 November. 

The pair had earlier pleaded guilty to offences linked to the supply of Class A and B drugs, including cocaine and cannabis.

Jake Warren was jailed for three years and four months, while his mother received a three-year community order, including 240 hours of unpaid work.

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Police executed a warrant at the family home in March 2025 as part of a proactive operation targeting drug-related crime in the city. 

Officers seized more than £22,000 in cash hidden in various locations around the property, along with a significant quantity of cocaine and cannabis found inside a box in the garden.

A room in the house had also been set up for preparing drugs.

The drugs recovered had an estimated potential street value of around £33,000, police said.

 Mobile phones were seized during the search, and Jake Warren’s fingerprints were found on drug packaging.

During the investigation, officers also obtained CCTV footage from a local post office showing Jayne Warren depositing large sums of cash several times a week. 

Police say she laundered money on behalf of her son before transferring it to him.

Both defendants were charged with drug and money laundering offences shortly after the search in March 2025.

DC Rosie Garnett, the officer in the case, said the operation showed how “different generations of the same family became embroiled in the drug trade and benefited from the profits”.

She added: “It was clear that the mother dealt with the business side of the operation while her son distributed the drugs. Both had chosen to engage in the sale of drugs which has resulted in today’s outcome.”